Institutional Affiliation
Uploaded by CaseyP on Dec 06, 2017
Gun Control in the USA
The right to the ownership of a firearm is founded on the right to self-defense. Individuals have a right to defend themselves from anyone who wishes to destroy their lives. The right to self-defense is related to the right to life. It sounds ridiculous to provide the right to life yet there are no means to protect the life. The opponents of gun ownership have been against this right to protect life from danger. The paper will look at the moral right to own a gun and whether the Supreme Court judges make the law by offering an interpretation on the application of the Constitution.
Moral Right to Own Guns
I hold a belief that individuals have a moral right to the ownership of a gun. However, the rights are logically before the laws that are enacted by the state. Individuals have the right to take part in in any activity unless there is a reason as to why they should not be allowed to do it (Huemer, 2017). The person denying the rights has the task of proving that there is the reason for the existence of the right. Likewise, the person seeking to have the right must proof that they are sufficiently fit to hold custody of a gun.
Limits on the Type of Weaponry
Despite the right, I find that there should be a limit to the type of weaponry that people should be allowed to own. Individuals should not be allowed to hold unusual weapons. The Second Amendment has been made clear by a Supreme Court ruling on the type of weaponry that individuals should carry. The decision barred American citizens from having unusual and dangerous weapons that are not commonly used at that particular time. It can be interpreted to be a general rule that governs the right to the ownership of arms. Individuals should hold the weapons that are common to all.
Justification
The type of firearm that an individual can own is subject to the regulation under the National Firearms Act. It specifies the extra tax stamp and regulation to own a firearm. Individuals seeking to have special weapons need to get authorization by complying to the set restrictions and paying the relevant duties and taxes. Individuals are allowed to own any non-automatic firearm that has a maximum caliber of 0.5 (Findley, 2013). It should also have a barrel of 16...